Volume OneSection 04Services
Integrated psychiatric medication services from a CARN-AP credentialed provider. From initial evaluation to ongoing treatment, all under one provider who handles the messy in-between most other prescribers do not -- and the standalone psychiatric care for patients without addiction in the picture.
The foundation
A thorough psychiatric evaluation is the foundation of effective care. Comprehensive initial assessments go well beyond a symptom checklist, exploring mental health history, physical health, life context, substance use history, trauma, and personal goals.
The goal is not to fit you into a diagnostic category. It is to understand your specific situation well enough to build a treatment plan that actually fits your life.
60 -- 75 minutes · full history · clinical impressions shared at the appointment
The ongoing work
Psychiatric medication is often part of recovery and stability. Expert prescribing and ongoing monitoring, adjusted to your response, your life, and your goals. Decisions are made together. Reasoning is explained. Alternatives are discussed. Preferences are respected.
Follow-ups track how treatment is actually working and adjust based on real outcomes, not protocol checklists.
20 -- 30 minutes · telehealth available · outcomes-driven
The practice's primary work
By Angela Vanderberg, PMHNP-C, FNP-BC, CARN-AP
CARN-AP credentialed, advanced-practice psychiatric prescribing for adults navigating addiction. Few psychiatric nurse practitioners in Lake County hold the addiction-nursing credential alongside the psychiatric one. Substance use disorders are medical conditions. They respond to evidence-based treatment, including medication, integrated with the psychiatric care that addiction so often travels alongside.
Bridge care is the clinical handoff that often gets dropped: the patient out of detox who needs psychiatric medication continuity, the IOP graduate who needs sustained prescribing, the patient with a relapse risk who needs a careful prescriber who understands recovery, the family member calling after a court evaluation. We pick up where the program ended.
"Treating addiction without the trauma underneath, or the depression alongside it, or the ADHD that has been screaming for years, rarely produces an outcome that holds." A.V., on integrated care
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including buprenorphine-based protocols for opioid use disorder, is offered within a broader framework that addresses anxiety, trauma, depression, ADHD, and sleep symptoms that frequently co-occur.
Care here is non-judgmental by design. Patients arrive across the full spectrum of substance use, from alcohol and opioids to stimulants and benzodiazepines. History does not define how you are treated.
CARN-AP credentialed · MAT including buprenorphine · co-occurring conditions integrated
Same provider. Same continuity.
Psychiatric care should be accessible, not just available in theory. Secure video appointments via a HIPAA-aligned telehealth platform for patients across Indiana, removing commutes, waiting rooms, and the logistical friction that often derails consistent care.
Telehealth is available for initial evaluations, medication management follow-ups, and ongoing psychiatric care.
Secure link delivered ahead of session · private space and stable internet, that is all
Clinical, not advocacy
Professional psychiatric and substance use evaluations for individuals referred through legal or court processes. Conducted with clinical objectivity, thorough documentation, and clear reporting that meets legal and judicial requirements.
Common referrals include evaluations related to substance use, fitness assessments, and related psychiatric determinations. All evaluations follow professional ethical standards. The role is clinical, not advocacy.
Structured clinical interview · standardized assessment tools where indicated · written report
An add-on, not a stand-alone
For established patients who want talk-therapy work woven directly into psychiatric care. Cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed approaches are offered as longer, integrated visits alongside medication management. This is an add-on for patients who want the same provider to hold both threads of the work.
It is not a stand-alone therapy practice. Patients seeking primary psychotherapy as their main treatment are referred to trusted therapy partners across Northwest Indiana, with coordinated care across both providers.
CBT · MI · trauma-informed · longer visits when combined with medication management
Volume OneEnd of section
A short conversation usually clarifies the right starting point. No commitment required to ask.